SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LANGUAGE SENSITIVE CONTEXTUAL SEARCHING

• US 20090112845A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Byers, Simon, Kormann, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,754,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A method, system and computer-readable media for searching a database and returning relevant results are disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving a user query in one language, searching a database based on the user query to obtain one or more results, processing the results according to a local linguistic context association with the user query, and presenting to the user the results with an identifier for each result in which a local linguistic context around a location of the user query is in a second language.

Claims

1. A method of searching a database and returning relevant results, the method comprising:

receiving a user query in a first language;

querying a database based on the user query to obtain at least one result;

processing the at least one result according to a local linguistic context association with the user query; and

presenting to the user the at least one result including an identifier for each result in which a local linguistic context around a location of the user query is in a second language.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining data associated with a local language associated with a user; and

wherein the identifier is based on the determined data associated with the local language.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local linguistic context comprises one of a sentence or phrase including the user query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the local linguistic context comprises a language of an entire document containing the user query.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying document language by use of at least one of metatags, an analysis of language within the document, or analysis of words surrounding the user query.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting to the user further comprises presenting a graphical representation illustrating how much of the document is in the first language and how much is in the second language.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein if the local language and the second language are the same language, then presenting the results further comprises prioritizing the

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the user query is in a different language from the local language;

if so, then presenting an option to the user to further limit the query according to results in the local language; and

upon confirmation from the user, then processing the user query according to the local language.

9. A system for searching a database and returning relevant results, the system comprising:

a system bus for coupling system components;

a database coupled to the system bus;

a processing unit in communication with the database;

software executing on the processing unit, wherein the software receives a user query in a first language, queries the database based on the user query to obtain at least one result, processes the at least one result according to a local linguistic context association with the user query, and presents to the user the at least one result including an identifier for each result in which a local linguistic context around a location of the user query is in a second language;

an input device in communication with the processor; and

an output device in communication with the processor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the software determines data associated with a local language associated with the user and the identifier is based on the determined data associated with the local language.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein if the local language and the second language are the same language, the software then presents the results by prioritizing the results based on which of the results have the local linguistic context of the local language.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the local linguistic context comprises one of a sentence or phrase including the user query.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the local linguistic context comprises a language of an entire document containing the user query.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the software identifies document language by use of at least one of metatags, an analysis of language within the document, or analysis of words surrounding the user query.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the software presenting to the user further comprises presenting a graphical representation illustrating how much of the document is in the first language and how much is in the second language.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the software determines if the user query is in a different language from the local language, and, if so, then presents an option to the user to further limit the query according to results in the local language, and, upon confirmation from the user, the software processes the user query according to the local language.

17. A computer-readable media containing program instructions for searching a database and returning relevant results, that cause a computer to:

receive a user query in a first language;

query a database based on the user query to obtain at least one result;

process the at least one result according to a local linguistic context association with the user query; and

present to the user the at least one result including an identifier for each result in which a local linguistic context around a location of the user query is in a second language.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the media further causes the computer to:

determine data associated with a logical language associated with a user; and

wherein the identifier is based on the determined data associated with the local language.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein if the local language and the second language are the same language, then the media causes the computer to represent the results by prioritizing the results based on which of the results have the local linguistic context of the local language.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the local linguistic context comprises one of a sentence or phrase including the user query.

21. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the local linguistic context comprises a language of an entire document containing the user query.

22. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the media further causes the computer to identify document language by at least one of metatags, an analysis of language within the document, or analysis of words surrounding the user query.

23. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the media further causes the computer to present a graphical representation illustrating how much of the document is in the first language and how much is in the second language.

24. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the media further causes the computer to:

determine if the user query is in a different language from the local language;

if so, then presents an option to the user to further limit the query according to results in the local language; and

upon confirmation form the user, then processing the user query according to the local language.